2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcraith
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Rath" meaning "son of grace" or "son of luck".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Mcraith. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcraith surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Mcraith in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcraith, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcraith
The surname MCRAITH has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, stemming from the Gaelic Mac Rath, meaning "son of grace." This suggests that the name may have initially been bestowed upon someone known for their piety or religious devotion.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. It is believed that the name shares a common ancestry with the Scottish clan MacRae, whose ancestral lands were situated in Kintail, Ross-shire.
In the "Origines Parochiales Scotiae," a historical record of Scottish parishes, there are mentions of individuals bearing the name MCRAITH in the parish of Kilmorie in Arran during the 17th century. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial stronghold in the Highlands by that time.
One notable bearer of the name was John McRaith (1722-1789), a Scottish minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1786. He was born in Arran and spent much of his life ministering in the parish of Dailly, Ayrshire.
Another individual of note was Donald McRaith (1834-1901), a Scottish-born author and journalist who immigrated to Canada in the mid-19th century. He wrote extensively on Canadian history and culture, and his works provide valuable insights into the lives of early Scottish settlers in the country.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname MCRAITH was William McRaith (1810-1891), a Scottish immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania. He worked as a blacksmith and is believed to have been among the first bearers of the name in the country.
Another notable American with the surname was James McRaith (1865-1943), a lawyer and politician from Ohio. He served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and was later appointed as a judge on the Ohio Court of Appeals.
While the name MCRAITH is not among the most common surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in the Scottish Highlands. The name's enduring presence in various parts of the world serves as a testament to the far-reaching influence of Scottish immigration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcraith
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcraith, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcraith bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mcraith surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcraith
Mcraith appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,887 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,887 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mcraith surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #150,452 | #152,339 | -1.3% |
| Count | 109 | 106 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcraith bearers went from 109 to 106 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,887 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #152,339.
FAQ
Mcraith surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcraith?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Mcraith. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Mcraith?
Mcraith ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Mcraith. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mcraith.
Has Mcraith become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcraith went from 109 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcraith?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcraith, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcraith in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcraith appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mcraith (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mcraith mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Rath" meaning "son of grace" or "son of luck". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mcraith (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Mcraith?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.